Loretta - Our 1967 Airstream Globetrotter

The Damage...

Shortly before we turned into the San Luis Lakes campground at the start of our latest adventure with Loretta, Em and I 'sailed' over what we thought would be just another cattle grate (there were several). Lol! I knew we were in trouble after watching our pals cross it in front of us just a minute before but unfortunately it's not easy to slow that much mass down in a relatively short amount of time.

After leveling Loretta out in our campsite, I turned my attention inside to find the final cattle grate had dislodged Loretta's countertop so much that it had fallen in the back corner along with her stove.

Worried about the impact on her gas lines (and our ability to run the heater and most importantly make coffee/tea in the mornings) I did a quick inspection and attempt to reposition the counter/stove. (it was at this point, no more than 15 minutes after driving into the campsite, that the 'friendly' campground hosts popped by to pester me about the car fee - more on that later).

Thank goodness all checked out (can you imagine no coffee in the morning? After being so spoiled now!? Ha!) but the fact we had a busted countertop/oven remained.

So this weekend, instead of popping up to the mountains as planned for a quick camping trip with just the 2 of us, we opted to 'operate' as well as do some things around the house in need of attention (we'll be camping with pals next weekend).

I'm happy to report that Matt, as of this afternoon, has successfully repaired Loretta's countertop and stove making it much more sturdy than before and even leveling out the countertop a bit more than it was originally!

Excellent!

 

 

 

 

 

While Matt tended to Loretta's wounds, I worked on planting the rest of the garden and flower pots with the starts I have been nurturing downstairs (lots!) and tuning up the sprinkler system so they're sure to thrive while we're out and about.

I can't say exactly how many flowers I planted (xxxxxxx) but in terms of veggies we've got 10 tomato plants, 6 sweet pepper plants, 11 cucumber plants, 6 tomatillo plants, 2 zucchini plants, 4 butternut squash plants, 12 feet of sweet onions, 24 feet of sweet peas, what will be about 49 feet of pole beans, 24 feet of leeks, 24 feet of lettuce, 12 feet of beets, 20 feet of parsnips, a couple kale, and many more misc bits I'm testing.

The herb garden is overflowing - I added a Texas tarragon, a pineapple sage, an orange mint and get this, an apple mint as well this year. ( the apple mint is fantastic smelling)

Being in town after all we were able to attend a pal's party this afternoon where we had a fantastic time. We're so lucky to have such a cool group of friends.

In prep for the fiesta we popped by the local supermarket for the ingredients to make the strawberry pie we decided to bring along. (I found the recipe using an app called PunchFork that I had downloaded to my iPad some time ago - a neat app if you're a recipe junkie like me but are limited in the amount of time you can dedicate to surfing the various sites/blogs out there).

As with any store, I always check out the sale rack - ya never know what treasure you'll find! Today was my lucky day - a clearance priced baking dish, with a fantastic sealing top that is made out of what I think is the same glass as Corelle so it's uber light! Perfect for Loretta (as well as the home kitchen in that I'll be able to return the Le Crueset baking dish currently in Loretta's kitchen back to its place in the big house kitchen).

I'm excited to give it a whirl! Perhaps next weekend?

On tap for Loretta is a new set of grey water tanks as well as a replacement black water tank and, *gasp*, could it be a fully functional toilet! We'll be ordering those shortly so we can get them delivered and installed quickly, preferably in time for Mesa Verde!

Stay tuned!

 

Har Har Har!

 

Colorado Gators.... Oh, And The Great Sand Dunes, Too!

Have you ever visited somewhere new (or old for that matter) and thought "wow, now this is just gorgeous?  I could see myself having some property here" and then run by the local real estate offices and grocery stores to pick up the real estate magazines? 

I seem to be doing that more and more as we travel around our great states.  Just when I think I've seen la creme de la creme we visit another location which tops the previous or presents beauty in a whole different way than the last.

That was the Great Sand Dunes and the surrounding area - ruggedly beautiful.

The journey down was a hoot - 5 families caravaning with a Shasta, Airstream (Loretta), a tip out and 2 pop up ten trailers in tow.  About 3/4 of the way we all gathered at the truck stop in Walsenburg, gassed up one last time and then headed east to the campsite, San Luis Lake, which is only about 15 minutes from the dunes.

The drive was gorgeous - the sun setting to our left and the Sangre de Cristo mountains glowing on our right - and a bit eventful with the numerous cattle grates crossing the road.....

When we arrived and started setting up camp I soon realized Loretta's stove/oven and countertop had somewhat collapsed as we crossed the last cow grate before the campground - it was a doozy!

Thank goodness no damage was done to the gas lines else no morning coffee percolating!  Now that would be a tragedy!

As soon as Matt arrived (he drove down separately) we had a light dinner, the kiddos hit the sack and shortly thereafter so did the adults after chatting around the campfire.

 

The next day the majority of the group went to the Great Sand Dunes in the morning, which was a good idea as the wind kicked up quite nicely in the afternoon (prompting our departure after an efficient exfoliation). 

The Great Sand Dunes were so much more impressive than I had imagined - very tall!  Matt and I, with Emily and one of her friends, hiked about 1/2 the way to the top before turning around to play in Medano Creek than flows around the base. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While a tad bit cool, the creek was the perfect depth and speed for the kiddos to play safely... and there was no shortage of sand for sand castles, burying pals and digging big holes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a lazy morning we headed northeast about 20 minutes to Colorado Gators - an alligator 'sanctuary' that started out as a tilapia farm (the alligators were there initially to take care of the 'garbage'!).

It's a corny place but strangely fun and entertaining!  The alligators, alebit not as animated as I would have expected (much to Roaming Santa's liking), were very interesting to observe. 

 

 

 

One guy seemed to be smiling at me!

 

 

 

I think my favorite animals of the day were the free-range tortoises, the ostriches and watching Emily interact with the burros - she was so loving and calm with them and the burros clearly warmed up to her.

 

 

 

 

What excitement the alligators lacked the rescue of a baby duckling by our pals made up for!  As we ate lunch we heard our pal Michelle yelling for her husband Dan to come quick.  When Dan arrived he saw a baby duckling stuck upside down in the pond where we had been watching momma and her 6 ducklings swim.  Dan snatched it out of the water to be surprised by a snapping turtle latched on to the poor baby duckling's leg.  Needless to say, the removal of the snapping turtle didn't bode well for the duckling's leg but we're happy to report he was placed in 'intensive care' inside and a vet was called (that said we're not sure if the 'vet' was one of the hungry alligators around the corner)  Poor momma duck.  Down to 5.

Before heading home for the day a portion of us dropped by Zapata Falls for a short hike and view of the water fall - what a treat! 

1/4 mile up a trail we then hiked a short while up a very cold creek and into a narrow crevice where in the back was Zapata Falls, crashing down amoungst ice still clinging to the sides of the crevice. 

Anyone hiking to the falls should definitely brave the cold water - totally worth it!

 

 

 

Of course there was much more to the trip than just this - the kids hanging around playing angry birds with a life size catapault, scavenging around the dried up lake bed picking up fish skeletons, watching (what's left of) San Luis Lake turn from the usual blue to a vibrant green in a matter of 24 hours and then back to normal again...  And of course the campfire with smores made from the super sized marshmallows (for which I do not mind being the garbage disposal - burn all you like, I love the incinerated ones kiddos!)

 

A Loooong Loooong Journey?...

We're back from our Great Sand Dunes trip where we had an absolutely fantastic time with family and friends! I'll write more on that in the next couple days, complete with details and pics, of course....

 

In the meantime, so you don't think we've fallen off the face of the earth, a funny pic of Emily on our journey to the Great Sand Dunes. What ever did we do without iPads I have to ask!?

On tap for the next few days is to fix Loretta (ooooh, yes.... Foreshadowing), organize the pictures of our latest adventure, throw a fun get-together to celebrate the end of the school year and then head up to the mtns again for a couple days!

Stay tuned!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Mother's Day!

What a wonderful day!

Lucky me, i got to play with Emily (both Barbies and mom had hair and nails done)...

 

 

 

 

 

 

I enjoyed Yummy food including a decadent cheesecake from Christopher for dessert (whose presence made it all the more wonderful)....

 

 

 

 

And Eggs Benedict with strawberries from the garden....

All On a gorgeous Colorado day.

 

 

After my customary migrations to Home Depot (where I was wished a happy mothers day by the folks who know me - it's like a home improvement Cheers episode)...

We were able to make a bit of progress on Loretta...

 

 

 

 

 

I'm happy to report we have a fully functional step now, painted to match (with thanks to Emily)!

Matt installed the inverter that had come with the solar panels I picked up from Costco a while back....so we can now run 120v appliances when on the battery (the outlets in Loretta are all on the 120v circuit)

All in all, a wonderful mothers day! I hope all of you out there had a very special one as well.

 

The Tank...

Alas, we have a porcelain throne yet no where to go (the black water tank has been removed). Hahaha! It's a bit Funny as not long ago we had a place for 'it' to go (the ld black water tank) but no porcelain throne! At some point we will have the best of both worlds and get to use Loretta's W.C.

After removing the black tank today we measured to verify the size for the replacement tank (which we'll need to order fairly quickly as it sounds like it'll take 3-4 weeks to ship).

We also chatted about plans for installing grey water tanks... Loretta, being a 1967, doesn't have a grey water tank. As such, any water coming from the sinks or shower exit directly - not a practice that's commonly accepted nowadays from what I understand. We've always intended to install grey water tanks, just a bit farther down the road (that's where the smurf blue portable tank comes in). Facing plumbing in a new black water tank and dump valve, however, we're thinking now's the time to install grey water tanks as well.

So it's official - we'll be ordering a black water tank to replace the old one and a total of 4 - 6 gallon holding tanks for grey water that we'll install from the axle on back to the grey water tank. We have to use multiples of the smaller tank size in order to work around the configuration of Loretta's frame and toilet location (got to install the black water tank directly below the toilet for proper drainage). That said, we're thinking being able to position the tanks evenly on each side will help with the weight distribution factor.

More on that as and when!

Another task accomplished today was fixing the front window... Last weekend when I had opened up the windows to let the cool mountain air flow through, I realized the front window was still not secured.

Matt found some screws that fit perfectly at home depot and also picked up some silicone spray which I put on the window gaskets... Most are in great shape but needed a bit of conditioning to avoid ticking to the glass in hot weather and cracking any further.

We are missing a piece that is used to pull the bottom of the window tight still... There are three evenly spaced on the front window and we're missing the middle one.

I'm going to do some online research and see if I can snag a replacement.... While the window seems secure enough I would feel better knowing all 3 are there as it was originally designed. (replacing the glass on these things isn't inexpensive).

On tap tomorrow is putting scotch guard on the upholstery ( I really should have done it before Loretta's maiden voyage) and fixing her stair. As much as it is good exercise to step way up into and down out of Loretta (it's currently like doing a lunge every time ya go in or out - perfect ski conditioning), having an interim step avail will sure be nice for the kiddos... ER, uh... Ok, and us adults who are vertically challenged and/or not as in shape as we'd like to be ;)

An Entirely Different Beast!

On task for this evening was to find a way to remove the fitting from the black water tank in such a way that it didn't damage the tank as we really don't want to have to replace that as well. Or should I say didn't?

After playing around a bit, I was able to pry the fitting off with a chisel and a hammer... And it did a great job for the most part (patience pays off sometimes).

Unfortunately, after I finally popped the entire thing off (which was a bear - the installer had put a ton of white cement all around it) I found that one of the reasons for the leak in the first place was that the black water tank itself was cracked/broken away at the bottom.

So guess what folks!? We're about to embark on a new project - the replacement of a black water tank and the associated plumbing/gate valves. Yah! Can you tell I'm excited?

Actually, I shouldn't complain... Structurally, Loretta has been wonderful so we're due a bit of infrastructure work I think... Ask me if I'm thinking the same thing when we start installation/plumbing work though ;)

So the plan is.... Remove the existing black water tank and put it in the spring clean up garbage pickup we have here on Monday (yay! How about that timing!? I'm thinking n old black water tank sitting in the sun for a week would not be very appealing, for us or the neighbors). I've already ordered the required fittings (and picked up a few from a not so local, local shop way up the freeway). Next, measure the old black water tank and order it's replacement (ugh.... Just as soon as I thought the cash outflow for Loretta would taper off).... Finally, installation.

We'll be headed down to Mesa verde next month and I think it would be really nice to have a functional bathroom by then. Going to aim high and go for it....

Stinky Business!

There's no escaping it - the leaky dump valve on Loretta must get fixed (we can't go around dribbling icky water AND we kinda want to use the toilet that took so much team to fix and install)

No time like the present (especially with the weather returning to cold and rain by week end)! I kicked the project off by removing the screws that looked to be holding the stainless steel box that covered the black water tankafter work tonight.

Sure enough, after removing the 4 bolts it plopped to the ground and we were able to see what was inside. Um, dirty water (and we'll leave it at that) and a bunch of styrofoam insulation that wrapped around the block water tank. I'm assuming it's to insulate it and postpone any freezing..... Cool! (not the smell, though... Holy smokes)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then it was time to tackle the dump valve and verify what was leaking all that, um.... Dirty water. We filled the water tank a bit and runs few test flushes. Sure enough, leaks at all gasket locations.

The initial thought was to dismantle the thing, replace the gaskets (for which I have replacements already) and then screw it back together.

Uh, shoulda know we'd have to look at plan B - this is a DIY project of course and to boot, a *plumbing* DIY project! Come to find out, the nuts on the bottom are so rusted and disintegrated we had to grind them off with the angle grinder... And we noticed one of the bottom 2 bolt holes is cracked. So even if we replace the gaskets, the 2 pieces wouldn't fit snugly together.

So we're now looking at a complete replacement of the dump valve assembly. Question is, how is the fitting that runs from inside the back water tank, to which the dump valve is attached, connected to the black water tank? Is it welded on? Screwed in? Got to figure that out first so we can remove it safely - no holes desired in the black water tank in the process! Else, we'll have an entirely new beast on our hands.

I'm going to inquire at Aerosuds tomorrow as to whether they have any parts in stock. I wouldn't mind the ability to call on some additional expertise in this area, as well as access to the part now - it would be really neat to have full use of the facilities on the Great Sand Dunes trip next week!

Even if we don't have Loretta's porcelain throne in fill working order by then, we're going to have a fantastic time! We've got a total of 5 families caravaning down to San Luis Lakes campground for an extendo weekend trip.

A Quickie....

Literally, Just back from an evening playing a quick round of golf after work and replenishing the body with a couple zesty sets of habanero mango hot wings from Buffalo Wild Wings and an ice cold Stella. Nice. Sure beats starting in on Loretta's black water tank valve. And cooking... ( just wasn't in the mood this evening)

It was the first game of golf of the season for me and well... It wasn't nearly as obvious as I thought it would be. Thank heavens! I think my biggest adversary with the game of golf is attention span - I can just about do 13 holes and then, well... What's next.....

Nothing to report on progress with regards to Loretta today, unfortunately.... Not to say it isn't about to kick into high gear - we've been lucky enough to have a seriously cool front arrive since returning from Golden Gate Canyon state park. Else, that blank water tank and leaky black water tank valve would have been even more stinky than it already is. Gotta nip this one in the bud. Now procrastination allowed.

In the garden - woah mama! We've got some action! I'll take some pics of the outside garden beds tomorrow as that's starting to kick into gear (prepare yourself, I've got pics of the strawberry beds..? Oooooh).

The fruit trees... Get this... have fruit all over them! Wee little pears, plums and apples!

I don't know what it is about spring and the garden but it never ceases to amaze me to see something start off as something so small, so tiny... grow to be so big and/or nutritional. It's just magical.

The inside garden is going strong! Both racks even! Yah know the frozen basil cubes I've been yapping about? Well these plants are going to help me replenish my supply! They're already smelling heavenly!

Off to bed I go..... It's late and an early morning awaits, hope you all have a fantastic day out there. Stay tuned!

 

 

Ooooh..... The Colorado Rockies!

What a fantastic weekend camping - this time with friends (2 families) - both on their campers' maiden voyages (a 1976 shasta and what I think is a 2010 Rockwood tent trailer)!

I headed west first with Loretta in tow (Matt drove up separately), groovin' to my tunes and enjoying the spectacular scenery.  Shortly after turning onto Gap Road I had flashbacks of the rural Idaho roads I grew up with!  The dirt road was sloppy wet with what I assumed was oil to keep the dirt down (though it didn't have that signature smell).

At first I took it super slow, not wanting to get Loretta dirty but then, partially in my excitement and partially my thinking that  getting dirty (especially as a girl) is cool, I stepped on it and had a whale of a time reliving the oiled roads of north Idaho.

At one point I looked in my side mirror to see if I was splattering anyone behind and couldn't help but notice the gorgeous moutains on the horizon set against the bright blue sky with Loretta's layer of goo in the foreground.

So I stopped in the middle of the road and took a snapshot!

Upon arrival I scoped out a set of 3 campsites that would work for the group and went about setting up camp.  Before long (but not before I was informed by the friendly park rangers that 'saving' a spot was not allowed, even for those 20 minutes away), everyone had arrived and Roaming Santa had a new pal - Cody the Cockapoo (can you say that word with a straight face?)

As with any of our camping trips one of the highlights was eating - this time instead of each fam' sponsoring a meal or two we all brought grillables and a dish to share. 

The first night we did steak and a garbonzo bean salad (which was delish and highly recommended).  A few baked beans on the side too.... 

The second, we grilled salmon filets and enjoyed them along side roasted potatoes, more of the bean salad (just amped up with a bit of feta cheese) and some pasta salad. 

Smores of course for dessert.  Delicious!

Kids gathered pine cones, needles and twigs to feed the fire, rode bikes and scooters...  adults chatted and, at one point, the adult gentlemen attempted to repair the leaky black tank drain valve Loretta seems to have (surprise!).

We had decided instead of bringing the portable grey water tank to back fill the black water tank saving space in the truck and giving us an opp to try out the black tank draining procedure we had observed a fellow camper doing the last time we were there.

Turns out (what I think are) Loretta's black tank drain valve gaskets are leaking.  Not a big issue with us just using grey water (the toilet, albeit close, is awaiting a blade gasket replacement before it can be put into production)... but what we didn't consider was that Loretta's black tank had in fact been used before....  uhm, and for what its intended use is.  So let's just say we're going to be making the repair of this leak a top priority over the next couple of days - it's one thing to deal with a very small leak in that area in the forest but on the homefront in the driveway? A whole other can of beans!

For the record though - the dumping of the (backfilled) tank went very smoothly!  And we had a nice convo with the gentleman dumping his RV next to us - Loretta has a way of doing that - sparking up convos in any place/time!  (I love it... L-O-V-E it!!!!)

 

Saturday we headed out for a hike down the Raccoon Trail - the same trail we went on last trip but had forgotten the camera.  Not this time!  In fact, we made up for it by taking enough pics and video to run the camera out of battery about 2/3 of the 4 hr journey!  (thanks for the help Kyle - a budding photographer!)

In the hiking posse we had 12 folks ranging from 4 mnths to oooh....  21?  (lol!)...  and the dog.  We had a fantastic time, though I can't say we will be carrying a 4 yr old on the shoulders for a 2.5 mile mountainous hike again anytime soon.  Best we stick to the mile and under on somewhat flat terrain for those trips I'm thinking!  (as are our muscles)

The Raccoon Trail is a great hike.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love the varying terrain is offers - canopies of trees, meadows, rocks/boulders to scramble over and up.

The vistas are gorgeous.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And while they're on the low side (drought?), there's even a stream or 2 to play in along the way - I think we lost count as to who won the boat races.

I was assured by our young prospectors that  there is gold (flakes, not nuggets it was clarifed) in there as well.  Maybe we'll bring some panning equipment along next time? hehehe.....  early retirement perhaps?

 

 

 

 

We returned about midday and decided washing what we were told by the park ranger  was actually mag chloride (eeew) off of Loretta and the vehicles would be a good thing.

One trailer, one truck and a sporty car later (as well as a quick mow of the lawn).......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

....  and we were ready for our next adventure with Loretta - The Great Sand Dunes!  (though some might say the next great adventure will be the fixing of her black tank. lol!)

 

She cleans up pretty well, dontcha think?